Water ministry scouts for investment

Business EditorThe Minister of Environment, Water and Climate Oppah Muchinguri will lead a delegation of water experts to the Netherlands next week to scout for investment in the water sector. The trade mission to the Netherlands is being organised and funded by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (EKN).

In the past few years, several representatives from the drinking water sector in Zimbabwe approached EKN in Harare regarding water management.

To follow up on this interest in Dutch expertise, two water sector experts from Zimbabwe and the Netherlands carried out a need assessment last year in June to identify the possibility for co-operation between the drinking water sectors in Zimbabwe and the Netherlands and to identify the most promising areas for project implementation.

The study identified the major needs for various stakeholders (ZINWA, the Ministry of Water, water companies and selected municipalities) when it comes to managing drinking water supply services in Zimbabwe, with a view of what the Netherlands could provide them in terms of knowledge, capacity building and management services.

Some of the areas that Minister Muchinguri said will be the key focus on the visit include water chemicals supply to the Zimbabwe National Water Authority and other local authorities; supply of chemical dosing equipment to ZINWA and local authorities; rehabilitation of water infrastructure and capacity building in water related institutions.

“We also anticipate receiving support from the Dutch government in providing expertise to rationalise and help us set up SBUs.

“This can be followed up with training needs assessment and possibly tailor made courses in the Netherlands for our water engineers,” said Minister Muchinguri.

Some of the topics that are expected to come under discussion during her meetings next week include; Water sector governance, sector privatisation and regulation.

The delegation will also attend a Zimbabwe-Netherlands Drinking Water Business Development Platform meeting where they are expected to elaborate on Zimbabwe water sector business development needs; pitches and expressions of interest of Dutch sector actors and match-making and comments on funding perspectives.